Things to Do in Chile in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
December Weather in Chile
Is December Right for You?
Advantages
- Peak summer season means Santiago hits 25°C (77°F) with essentially zero rainfall - perfect for Andes hiking and outdoor wine country tours when trails are dry and vineyard terraces are lush green before harvest
- Chilean coast is actually warmest in December through February, making Valparaíso beach time and Pacific coastal drives genuinely pleasant rather than the foggy cold you'd get June through October
- Patagonia's Torres del Paine enters prime trekking season with 17-hour daylight stretches - you can start the W Trek at 6am and still have light until 11pm, plus December typically sees less wind than January-February
- School holidays don't start until late December (around Dec 20), so the first three weeks offer that sweet spot of excellent weather without the domestic tourist crush that hits Christmas through mid-January
Considerations
- Accommodation prices in Patagonia jump 40-60% compared to shoulder season, and popular refugios on the Torres del Paine circuit book out 4-6 months ahead for December dates - you're competing with European summer holiday travelers
- Santiago can hit 30°C (86°F) during heat waves with that 70% humidity, and the city's smog gets trapped by thermal inversion on windless days - not ideal if you're spending much time in the capital
- Those 10 rainy days listed in the data are misleading - in central Chile they're rare, but in Patagonia December actually brings unpredictable weather shifts where you might get sun, rain, and wind all in three hours
Best Activities in December
Torres del Paine Multi-Day Treks
December is when Patagonia's famous W Trek and O Circuit become accessible after winter closures. You're getting 17 hours of daylight (sunrise around 5:30am, sunset near 10:30pm), which means you can tackle the challenging sections like the Base Torres climb without rushing. The weather is genuinely unpredictable - locals say you get four seasons in one day - but trails are snow-free and river crossings are manageable. The famous Patagonian wind is typically calmer in December than January-February, though you'll still get gusts that can knock you sideways on exposed ridges.
Colchagua Valley Wine Tours
December hits the Chilean wine country at an interesting moment - vines are in full leaf and the valleys are green before the late February-March harvest. You're visiting during the warm season when temperatures in Colchagua and Casablanca valleys reach 26-28°C (79-82°F), perfect for outdoor tastings on terrace vineyards. The Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are still developing, so winemakers are actually in the vineyards doing canopy management rather than stuck in cellars. Worth noting that many wineries offer December-specific tours showing pre-harvest vine work that you won't see during the March-April crush period.
Valparaíso Street Art Walking Routes
Valparaíso's famous cerros (hillside neighborhoods) are actually pleasant to walk in December when coastal temperatures sit around 18-20°C (64-68°F) - not too hot for the steep climbs between murals. The Pacific fog that blankets the city June through September lifts completely, giving you clear views across the bay and better light for photography. December is when local artists tend to refresh murals before the January tourist peak, so you might catch work in progress. The city's 16 ascensores (funicular elevators) are operating on summer schedules, which helps when you're tired of stairs.
Atacama Desert Stargazing Experiences
December puts you in the Atacama during summer when nighttime temperatures are actually tolerable - around 5-8°C (41-46°F) rather than the below-freezing nights you'd get in winter. The desert has virtually zero light pollution and December offers clear skies roughly 28 nights out of 31. You're seeing the southern hemisphere sky at its best, with the Milky Way core visible and Southern Cross prominent. December's new moon falls around mid-month in 2026, giving you the darkest skies for telescope viewing. The high altitude (2,400 m / 7,874 ft in San Pedro de Atacama) means thin atmosphere and exceptional seeing conditions.
Lake District Volcano Hiking
December opens up the Lake District's volcano trails after winter snow melts from lower elevations. Volcán Villarrica (2,847 m / 9,341 ft) and Volcán Osorno (2,652 m / 8,701 ft) become accessible for summit attempts, though you'll still need crampons and ice axes for upper sections. The weather in Pucón and Puerto Varas is warm enough - around 22°C (72°F) - that you can actually enjoy the lakeside towns between climbs. December gets you into monkey puzzle (araucaria) forests when they're lush and trails through Huerquehue and Conguillío national parks are dry enough for comfortable day hikes.
Chiloé Island Cultural Routes
December is actually ideal for exploring Chiloé's famous wooden churches and palafito stilt houses because you're visiting during the drier season - though this is still Chiloé, so pack rain gear regardless. The island's UNESCO World Heritage churches are spread across small towns like Dalcahue, Achao, and Castro, and December's longer daylight (until about 10pm) gives you time to cover multiple sites. You're also hitting the beginning of seafood season when Chiloé's curanto (traditional seafood stew cooked in earth ovens) features fresh shellfish. The ferry crossing from Puerto Montt to Chiloé offers clear views of the Andes across the gulf.
December Events & Festivals
Fiesta de la Virgen de Andacollo
One of Chile's largest religious pilgrimages happens in the small mining town of Andacollo (near La Serena) when up to 150,000 pilgrims arrive to honor the Virgin. The event features traditional dance groups called chinos and bailes performing in elaborate costumes, and the atmosphere is genuinely authentic rather than tourist-oriented. If you're in the Norte Chico region, it's worth experiencing for the cultural insight into Chilean folk Catholicism.
New Year's Eve in Valparaíso
Valparaíso hosts the largest New Year's fireworks display in South America, with pyrotechnics launched from the bay that light up the entire amphitheater of hillside neighborhoods. Around one million people pack the cerros and waterfront to watch the 25-minute show. The event is free and genuinely spectacular, though you'll be dealing with massive crowds and limited transport options afterward. Locals stake out viewing spots on the hills by early afternoon.